Visiting Scholars

For the 2016-2017 academic year, African Studies does not have any visiting scholars.

Past Scholars

Professor Francis Beng Nyamnjoh

Professor Nyamnjoh is the head of Social Anthropology, University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has published widely on globalization, citizenship, media and the politics of identity in Africa. He has researched and written extensively on Cameroon and Botswana, where he was awarded the "Senior Arts Researcher of the Year" prize for 2003. In October 2012 he received a University of Cape Town Excellence Award for "Exceptional Contribution as a Professor In the faculty of Humanities". He is recipient of the "ASU African Hero 2013" Annual Award by the African Student Union, Ohio University, USA. He is a B2 rated professor and Researcher by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) since 2010, a Fellow of the Cameroon Academy of Science since August 2011, and chair of the Editorial Board of the South African Human Science Research Council (HSRC) Press since 2011. He has also published eight ethnographic novels.

Professor Nyamnjoh’s visit is sponsored by the African Studies Program, Center for International Studies, the School of Media Arts and Studies, and the Scripps College of Communication.

Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka

Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka holds a joint appointment in the departments of Theatre & Film and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas as Associate Professor. Her area of specialty is African literature and theatre with emphasis on women's writing. Her teaching and research focus on critical analysis of gender aesthetics in the literary and performing arts, revolutionary theaters, and cultural paradigms in Africa and the Diaspora. Part of her research borders on the African Diaspora particularly on the use of theatre and its depiction of women during independent struggles; there are remarkable similarities with the experience of continental Africans. She also concentrates on the intersection of national and gender identities in African women's creative writings (prose and drama) and their impact on critical theory of African literature since the 1970's.

Dr. Usman Ladan

Dr. Usman Ladan is currently a WARA Postdoctoral Visiting Scholar in the African Studies Program. He received his B.A (1987) and PhD (2002) degrees from the Department of History, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, where he now holds tenure appointment as a lecturer in History. He was also the Chair of the Academic Staff Union in the University from 2002 to 2005. He teaches courses on Nigerian and African history and his area of interests are philosophy of history, politics and urban studies. Dr. Ladan is currently conducting research on : The Politics of the Bornu Youth Movement and editing his doctoral dissertation on colonial urbanization in Nigeria for publication.

Mr Fosuaba Banahana

Mr Fosuaba Banahana is the administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund in Accra, Ghana. As an Ohio University Alumni, he plays a central role in a MOU with the College of Communication and the Partnership between African Studies and the Otumfuo Fund. He visited the Center of African Studies and met with the Ghanaian students telling them about his experience at Ohio University.

Usman Bugaje

Usman Bugaje is one of the leading opposition politicians in Nigeria. He visited the Center for African Studies during November of 2007. In his short visit to Ohio University, Bugaje lectured to students in the African Studies Program about the current Nigerian political situation. He was also interviewed by Ernest Waititu for The Athens News.

Dr. Bailly Sery

Dr. Bailly Sery is a full Professor at University of Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire. Currently, he is the Director of ERELCL (Research Team in Literature and Civilization), English Department at University of Abidjan. He visited the Center for African Studies February 2008 to speak in the program's regular "Brown Bag" series about post-independence politics in Africa.

Dr. Mohamud Bhadmus Wumi

Dr. Mohamud Bhadmus Wumi, Associate Professor Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. Dr. Muhammed O. Bhadmus is a visiting associate professor of theatre and drama from Bayero University, Kano-Nigeria.His interests include reading established dramatists and plays against the grain and finding new meanigs and interpretations for established theatre and drama traditions.

Mr. Moses Aluaigba

Mr. Moses Aluaigba is a Fulbright Visiting Student Researcher, 2008-2009 in African Studies from Nigeria. He holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Political Science and currently a doctoral candidate at University of Abuja, Nigeria. He works with Bayero University, Kano Nigeria. His areas of research interest include ethnic conflicts, conflict resolution, democracy and democratization process in Nigeria